In the conventional vertical bearing assemblies, bearings are installed in series on a shaft and are separated by rigid sleeves. This results in a non-uniform load on the bearings thus lowering durability of the assembly.
The most similar to the invention is a vertical bearing assembly, comprising antifriction bearings mounted one above another in a casing in a radially spaced relation thereto, each bearing being formed by bodies of revolution positioned between inner and outer races, and a system for redistribution of load between the bearings (SU, A, 681250; 509732).
The system for redistribution of load is formed by elastic members in the form of Belville or other springs located between inner and outer races of the bearings, the elastic members being unconnected to one another. With this construction, when the assembly is loaded, forces are transmitted in a sequence from one bearing to another. As a result, all bearings are loaded with the initially applied force. Thus the load is not uniformly distributed among the bearings. This lowers durability of the assembly, especially at high speeds.